System for operating especially for remote controlling and telemonitoring, unmanned radio transmitters

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to remote controlling and telemonitoring an unmanned radio transmitter ( 1 ), which can he controlled from a centre if required. The centre is connected to the remote-controlled transmitters via a public or private network and the operational functions of the transmitter are, if required, remote-controlled or interrogated by the centre, according to the HTTP protocol, via a connection to a server/browser network linked to the remote control device; simultaneously, the operational functions are automatically transmitted, without a prompt, from the transmitter to the centre ( 2 ) via a checkback network connection according to the SNMP- or HTTP-principle.

[0001] The invention relates to a system as specified in the preamble of the main claim.

[0002] It is known to operate radio-transmitting stations unmanned, i.e. without operating staff at the site of the transmitter, and to provide a remote control device in the transmitter that continuously monitors the operation of the transmitter and, if necessary, can be remote-controlled from the centre. A large number of radio transmitters can be operated centrally, remote-controlled and maintained with such a known system (according to DIN IEC 864, February 1989: “Standardization of interconnections between transmitters or transmitting systems and supervisory equipment”, page 4). In that case, the individual radio transmitters are generally connected via dedicated lines to the centre. Said known systems are relatively complicated and expensive.

[0003] The object of the invention is therefore to provide such a system for operating unmanned radio transmitters that is substantially simpler and makes complicated special connections between the transmitters and the centre superfluous.

[0004] Proceeding from a system as specified in the preamble of the main claim, said object is achieved by its characterizing features. Advantageous developments, in particular in regard to the construction of the checkback network connection emerge from the subclaims.

[0005] In accordance with the invention, a public or private network, for example a so-called local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), such as those now available worldwide in the most varied embodiments, is used for the connection between the individual transmitters and the centre. To interrogate the operating functions of the transmitter, only a standard Internet browser is necessary in the centre and an associated server in the transmitters in order to interrogate, if necessary, the desired operating functions of the transmitter according to the HTTP protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Simultaneously, certain operating functions of the transmitter are continuously transmitted to the centre automatically and without prompting via the checkback network connection that is additionally also provided and that operates, for example, according to the SNMP protocol (Simple Network Management Protocol) or which has for that purpose an additional client/server return connection employing the HTTP protocol so that any malfunctions in the transmitter are immediately detected and indicated in the centre and can then be eliminated immediately via the existing remote-control connection (browser/server of the HTTP connection or, if an SNMP connection is used as checkback network connection immediately by the latter). The browser can also be used in a decentralized manner for interrogating if necessary the operating conditions by assigning it, for example, to the maintenance staff that is underway in a mobile manner and is appropriately informed in the event of faults via the centre.

[0006] The system according to the invention can be applied in any desired radio transmitters, both in the case of radio transmitters and in the case of mobile radio transmitters, it being possible not only for the operating functions of the transmitter to be interrogated and remote-controlled, but, for example, also associated measuring instruments that are assigned to the transmitter system and that can likewise be interrogated and remote-controlled via the remote-controlled device of the transmitter. The system according to the invention can also be applied in a similar way for other remote-controllable devices for which similar requirements exist as in the case of such radio transmitters.

[0007] The invention is explained in greater detail below using diagrammatic drawings with reference to two exemplary embodiments.

[0008]FIG. 1 shows the basic circuit diagram of an operating system according to the invention for unmanned transmitters, of which, for the sake of clarity, only a single transmitter 1 is shown. A multiplicity of such transmitters can, of course, be remote-controlled in the same way by the principle according to the invention from a centre 2, as is indicated by the transmitter 1′. The transmitter 1 can be remote-controlled in a manner known per se, i.e. its operating functions and any measuring instruments 4 assigned to it can be continuously monitored by means of a remote-control device 3 and, if necessary, remote-controlled from the centre 2, by means of said remote-control device 3, as is described in greater detail, for example, in the reference DIN IEC 864 mentioned at the outset. The remote-control device 3 is connected via a public network LAN/WAN to the centre 2 and, specifically, via a network employing the HTTP protocol having a server 5 that is connected to the remote-control device 3 and a browser 6 that is disposed in the centre 2 or is optionally also sited in a decentralized manner. The server 5 is preferably integrated (embedded) with the remote-control device 3 to form a unit. The operating conditions of the transmitter 1 are stored in a memory, not shown in greater detail, as web pages according to the XML standard and can accordingly be read out via the server 5 and fed into the public network LAN/WAN via a suitable network interface and transmitted to the browser 6 according to the HTTP protocol and displayed there, for example, on a viewing screen as soon as the browser transmits an appropriate HTTP interrogation command via the network to the server 5. This interrogation and control system employing the HTTP system is described in greater detail, for example, in the “Request for Comments” RFC 2026, RFC 2616. Simultaneously, the remote control 3 is also connected according to the SNMP protocol via the public network LAN/WAN to the centre 2, as is described in greater detail, for example, in RFC 1089 and RFC 1067. For this purpose, the remote control 3 is assigned an SNMP agent 7 that is preferably again integrated directly with the remote control 3 like the server 5. Said SNMP agent 7 is in communication with an SNMP manager 8 disposed in the centre 2 via the public network. The operating functions of the transmitter 1 whose instruction repertoire is defined in the “management information base” can be continuously transmitted to the centre via this second continuously operating SNMP connection and the function of the transmitter can therefore be continuously monitored in the centre. In some cases it is often sufficient not to provide any continuous transmission of operating functions to the centre, but only if troublesome deviations in said operating functions occur in the transmitter. The latter are then signalled without prompting to the centre by the so-called SNMP traps. The remote-control device 3 can also be acted on directly by the SNMP manager from the centre via said SNMP protocol and the operating function of the transmitter can consequently be remote-controlled.

[0009]FIG. 2 shows a further possibility for the construction of the checkback network connection. The system for interrogating the operating conditions if necessary is via HTTP with server 5 and browser 6, as in accordance with FIG. 1. Instead of the SNMP system for the continuous checkback, the HTTP protocol is likewise used in accordance with FIG. 2. For this purpose, the remote-control device 3 is assigned a checkback client 10, preferably again integrated with the remote-control device and the server 5, which is connected to a checkback server 11 in the centre via the LAN/WAN network. If, for example, a fault occurs in an operating function in the transmitter or, possibly, it also occurs periodically with time at certain intervals, the checkback client 10 dials, in accordance with the HTTP protocol, the IP address (identification number) associated with the checkback server 11 and then transmits automatically and independently without prompting the respective operating functions of the transmitter 1, which are fed to the checkback client 10 via the remote-control device 3, to the checkback server 11 and are evaluated there and initiate, for example, a visual or audible alarm so that the centre can then request via the browser/server connection 6, 5, either more detailed information items about the operating fault and can then act directly on the operating functions by remote control in order to eliminate any irregularities or faults in the operating functions.

[0010] The protocols to be transmitted via the public network can be encoded in a known manner in order to prevent external interference.

[0011] The server/browser connection employing the HTTP protocol is of a known type. Suitable for this purpose, for example, is the Internet explorer offered by MICROSOFT or the navigator offered by NETSCAPE. Suitable as SNMP system is, for example, the system HP Open View offered by HEWLETT PACKARD, the Spectrum system or the MG Soft system. 

1. System for remote-controlling and telemonitoring unmanned radio transmitters (1) that each have remote-control devices (3) via which the operating functions of the transmitter are continuously monitored and, if necessary, can be remote-controlled from a centre (2), characterized in that the centre (2) is connected to the remote-controllable transmitters (1) via a public or private network (LAN/WAN) and, specifically, via a first standard web browser/server connection (6, 5) to an Internet browser (6) in the centre (2) and to an Internet server (5) in the transmitter (1) via which the operating functions of the transmitter (1) can be interrogated and remote-controlled according to the HTTP protocol, and via a second checkback connection that either employs the SNMP protocol and whose SNMP agent (7) is connected to the remote-control device (3) of the transmitter and whose SNMP manager (8) is disposed in the centre (2) or that is constructed as a standard client/server HTTP connection and whose Internet client (19) is assigned to the remote-control device (3) of the transmitter (1) and whose Internet server (11) is disposed in the centre (2), wherein, via said second checkback connection, the operating functions of the transmitter (1) are transmitted automatically and without prompting from the transmitter (1) to the centre (2).
 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective operating functions of the transmitter (1) are stored according to the XML standard on a web page in the Internet server (5) of the first connection (6, 5) and can be interrogated and displayed according to the HTTP protocol by the Internet browser (6).
 3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating functions of the transmitter (1) can also be remote controlled via the second standard agent/manager connection (7, 8) employing the SNMP protocol.
 4. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Internet server (5) of the first connection and/or the SNMP agent (7) or the Internet client (10), respectively, of the second connection are integrated with the remote-control device (3) of the transmitter (1) to form a unit.
 5. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data is transmitted via the public network in encoded form.
 6. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data is transmitted wirelessly by means of the WAP protocol from the Internet server (5) to a user Internet client.
 7. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Internet browser (6) of the first connection is used in a decentralized manner.
 8. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating functions of the transmitter (1) are transmitted via the second checkback connection to the centre (2) only in the event of interfering deviations in said operating functions. 